There has been 'outrage' among villagers as trees that were once decorated with Christmas lights were chopped down on Good Friday.
Councillors in Hapton said they had been contacted by concerned villagers throughout the weekend, with many of them upset at seeing the land cleared.
The land on Manchester Road is owned by Burnley Council but leased to the owner of a local pub.
Conservative Councillor for Hapton with Park, Jamie McGowan, said: “There are four trees and, in recent years, this is where we’ve had some Christmas lights put up to try and brighten up the village.
“This morning, a couple of vans turned up to cut the trees down and residents rightly contacted me asking what the hell was going on. My phone’s been non-stop.
“I’ve spoken with the owner of the lease who says he has received permission from the council to take them down.
“But as I said to him, that’s not my understanding.
“The problem is the council is closed for the Easter holiday, so no proper checks can take place to verify what’s being said.
“I’ve managed to speak with some senior officers at Burnley who have raised health and safety issues and also the need for a permit to cut down the conifer next to the road.
“Cllr Alan Hosker and Hapton Parish Council Chairman Tim Birbeck have also been down.
“The bottom line is that if these trees have been taken down without the right permissions, then the council will be moving to have them reinstated with some hefty fines dished out.”
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Reform UK’s Cllr Alan Hosker attended the site and said he would be addressing issues raised after the Easter weekend, when council offices would reopen.
There had also been concerns raised that it was nesting season.
He posted: “You will all remember myself and Cllr Jamie McGowan had Christmas lights placed on the trees which, to my understanding, is still council land. Only the car park is on lease.
“Like many others in the village, I am still very upset at this.
“The car park lease will be checked for any breach of conditions. However, our understanding is that the land in question is not part of this lease. And they had no right, if this is the case, cutting the trees down. This will be fully investigated and followed up.”
He said he had also notified the police.
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